Game-counter



(fio Model.)

. D. K. HORTON.

GAME OOUNTER.

No. 280,375. Patented July 3, 1883-.

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GA A 3 LM rgwfiea UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

,DAVID K. HORTON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.-

GAME-COUNTER.

SPEOIFICATION'forming part of Letters Patent No. 280,375, dated July 3,188 3,

Application filed April 27, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I DAVID KIMB'ALL Hon- TON, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented an'Improved Tally-Board, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a convenient apparatus for scoring the points gained in a game of whist, and also the number of games won and the whole number of points gained in all the games played at a sitting.

It consists of a tally-board of convenient shape and dimensions, in the upper surface of which are placed three sets of movable keysone set to mark the points gained in a game, one set to mark the number of games won at a sitting, and one set to mark the whole number of points gained in all the games played at a sitting. The tally-board is made of ebony or other dark-colored wood or suitable material, and is rectangular in form, about three may require. number of games won, which are set in the inches by four inches, and about five-eighths to three quarters of an inch thick, with a tablet in the middle of the upper side, raised about onequarterof an inch above the planeof thetallyboard, and covering about one-half of the area of the tally-board. The keys are made of ivory or other suitable material, white, or of alighter color than the tally-board, and are on pivots which admit of their being raised in a vertical position. When not in use, the keys are in a horizontal position in recesses made for them in the upper surface of the tally-board. The upper surface of the keys, when they are in a horizontal position, are in a plane with the upper surface of the tally-board. These keys are controlled by aspring attached to each key on the under side, so adjusted that the key will be retained in the horizontal or vertical position in which it is placed, as the use of it I use five keys to mark the raised tablet and have figures, the same in black on both sides-viz., 1, 2, 4, 8, and 15' so that they can be readly seen by all the players, and which,.when used as hereinafter described, will mark an aggregate number of thirty games, if so many are won at a sitting. To score the number of points gained in one game, I use six keys, which are set in the lower plane of the tally-board in a row along one side of it, having no figures on them, each i key counting one when in vertical position and nothing when in horizontal position, a keybeing raised to the perpendicular position to mark each point as it is gained. When the seventh point is gained, the six standing keys are brought down to the horizontal position, and a key on the raised tablet having the figure 1 on it is raised to the vertical position to mark one game won. I use nine keys to mark the whole number of points gained in all the games played at a sitting, which are also set in the lower plane of the surface of the tally-board, in lines across both ends and the length of one side. Each key has the same figures in black 011 both sides of it-viz., 1,2, 3, 5, 10, 20, 40, 80, and 160; and when all the keys are raised to the vertical position an aggregate of three hundred and twenty-one points will be indieated as gained at the sitting; or, if aless number of points are gained, the keys will be raised to the vertical position which have figures on them, all which added together will make a number equal to all-the points to be scored.

Figure 1 is a top plan of my improved tallyboard with the indicator-keys all lying in the horizontal plane of the. surface of the tallyboard. Fig. 2 is a perspective of the tallyboard, showing atop, end, and side view with a portion of the indicator-keys standing in a vertical position, indicating the number of games won at the sitting, the whole number The six keys 011 the lower plane of the tallyboard (marked a) are the keys used to mark the number of points gained in a game up to six, the seventh point gained completing the game. Raising one 'of these keys to the perpendicular indicates one point gained, and so on up to six, and when the seventh point is gained the key on the raised tablet bearing the figure lis raised to the vertical position to indicate one game won, and all the keys marked a are brought down to the horizontal position, ready for use in the next game.

The keys in the center tablet (marked a) are used to indicate the number of games won at a sitting, as one game is marked by raising the key bearing the figure 1 to the perpendicular. \Vhen two games are gained the key marked 1 is brought down to the horizontal and the key bearing the number 2 is raised to the perpendicular. Vhen three games are gained the key bearing the figure 1 is again raised to the perpendicular and the two keys standing indicate the mnnber of games. lVhen four games have been won the key bearing the figure 4 is raised to the perpelulicular (6 a arethe springs which retain the keys either in a vertical or horizontal position, as they may be placed.

a is a tablet in the middle of the tally-board, raised about one-quarter of an inch above the general. plane of the upper side of the tallyboard, in which the indicator-keys are set, so that the keys set in the tablet may be ma nipulated more conveniently.

I am aware that various devices have been used as counters in the game of whist; but, so far as I am aware, there have been none like or even similar to my ta'l1y-board.

Having thus describedmy invention, I claim as new The zbove-described improved tally-board, consisting of a block of ebony with a raised tablet, a", on the upper surface, the keys (I, a, and a and the springs a, all substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

DAVID KIMBALL HORTON.

'Witnesses:

FREDK. L. HoUcn'roN, OHS. I'IOUGH'LON. 

